Nano-composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering containing silver nanoparticles: preparation, characterization and biological properties

n this study nano-composite scaffolds to be used as bone grafts have been endowed with antibacterial properties owing to the presence of silver nanoparticles. The alginate/hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds were prepared by internal gelation followed by a freeze-drying procedure to obtain a porous structure. The nanoparticles were prepared in presence of a lactose modified-chitosan and this colloidal solution was adsorbed on the scaffolds by exploiting electrostatic interactions. The adsorption and release of the silver from the composite scaffold was measured by ICP-AES and spectrofluorimetry measurements. Micro-computed tomography analysis of the scaffolds showed a homogeneous porous structure with average pore sizes of 341.5 μm and porosity of 80 %. In vitro biological tests (MTS and killing kinetics assays) demonstrated that silver does not affect the ability of the scaffolds to promote osteoblasts proliferation and that at the same time it exerts a strong bactericidal effect against both Gram+ and Gram− bacterial strains. Overall, the combined results indicate that these biocompatible antimicrobial scaffolds possess ideal characteristics for tissue engineering applications.